Saskatoon curbside recycling for apartments and condos

The blueprint for a mandatory city-wide recycling program for Saskatoon's 36,000
apartments, townhouses and condos has been laid out.

City council on Monday
approved nine motions that will outline what a contract with Cosmopolitan
Industries might look like.

The motions, which include a memorandum of
understanding that Cosmo will be the service provider or providers for the
collection of recyclables from multi-unit dwellings (MUDs), affirms the positive
relationship the city has built with the not-for-profit company, council
heard.

"A society is measured by how it treats their weakest members,"
said Coun. Darren Hill, about the motions. "And fortunately, we do have
Cosmo to help us with that effort in Saskatoon."

Although the details of
the mandatory program, which can be expected to roll out by 2014, still need to
be discussed with Cosmo, the issue of cost was one many councillors wanted more
details on.

"It's still premature for us to be guessing at the cost,"
said environmental services manager Brenda Wallace. But similar to the mandatory
recycling program for single family homes, each apartment or condo will be
required to pay for the service whether they use it nor not.

Coun. Randy
Donauer, who put forward eight of the motions, asked that the administration
report back on how Saskatoon would move forward if all MUDs that currently have
an agreement in place with a private contractor were to switch to a city program
within two years.

There could be a "problem" if the recycling program
costs more than the ones currently being offered by existing private sector
contractors, said Coun. Tiffany Paulsen.

The Ward 9 councillor's concerns
were echoed by Coun. Mairin Loewen who said she spoke with a condo manager
earlier in the day about the complexities involved with sorting and handling
recyclables in a building with many occupants. For some MUDs, it's taken a long
time to create a working relationship, so "I think it's important we take time
and be thoughtful and careful about we structure this program," Loewen
said.

Unlike the recycling program for single-family homes, a MUD
recycling program will not be a co-mingled system. Paper and cardboard will be
separated from other recyclables and glass will not be collected.

Cosmo
will negotiate with the city on whether they will select a collector or choose
to hire its employees to handle the pick-up.